Family's strongest bonds

Today many people assume that a family is a mom, dad, siblings and at times grandparents, but those are typical. The assumption that a child has a mom and a dad is something that in today's society is just a common view or a norm. However I grew up not knowing my dad and watching as other children played sports and watching as my mom worked two jobs to support both roles. The bond created with my mom is both on the emotional level children receive from their mothers and the physical aspect with children receive from dads which is very much a stereotype, but when only allowed one parent to grow from, it makes you look at the bonds within a family unit.

As talked about in class a family is a social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one another, including any children. Is a family then just a mom and children or must there be a dad to allow that term to truly have meaning. My mom became supporter and not a social connection on any level. I talked more to other peoples moms then I did my own about personal matters. As also talked about in class, families are there to support whether that be grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, or any one blood related, but when the family unit was split at a young age that leaves the child wondering if that family they had was really there at all according to Understandingchildhood.net. This feeling of loss on a child can leave the child looking in our places for the family they lost and cannot fix.

http://www.understandingchildhood.net/posts/divorce-and-separation-helping-children-and-parents-cope/
My point is that when the family unit splits it leaves the child looking to other groups and organizations and at times other families to fill the whole left by a broken family unit at home. some of my closest friends on my softball team only played because it was the one time both parents would come together to watch and support her at one time, I can relate to this myself, because on the field was the only time I felt I could bring my family together. As stated in class groups and organizations give people a place to belong and a place to find them selves, but also in the case of a family broken at home, a new one to rely on in the field or court. Each day for a family is a struggle but who does a child look towards to when they get older and the struggles at home never really fixed the views of family? The bonds created when we are young are who we respect when we grow older, so are those bonds that weren't secure as a child the ones we go to in times of need or more so the people we grew up with at school and clubs? Family may be strong to some but the family I built out of blood is stronger to me today because of the split at home and those people are still who I go to today instead of my mom or grandparents. Below is a link to a sight that looks at who people go to in times of trouble.
http://www.shaening.com/projectDocs/Preserving%20Connections.pdf